Names of God in Judaism
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In Judaism, God is known by many names. The most important of these names is the Tetragrammaton, or "Four-lettered word": YHVH, YHWH, or י ה ו ה. Jews are not allowed to say this name, and instead say Adonai. Even Adonai is only used by some Jews in prayer. Most Jews would refer to God as Ha-Shem, or "The Name". Jews are not allowed to erase the Tetragrammaton, so they rarely write it down outside of their most holy books, such as the Torah.
Other names include Ha-Elohim, Ha-El, Shaddai, Tzeva-ot, ‘Ha-Elyon, and Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh which are respectively pronounced by observant Jews as Elokim, Kayl, Shakkai, Tzeva-Kot.
Certain names, such as Shalom, are pronounced as written, but when written one letter, in this case the last letter, is omitted. The last of the above "other" list is often said as Ek-yeh Asher Ek-yeh.
Other Jewish names of (or references) to God include
[change | change source]- Jehovah—["Self-existent"]. Modern-day Hasidic Jews colloquially often substitute with Hashem (transl. “Name”).
- El (Eloah, Elohim)—["God"]
- Sabaoth—["Celestial Hosts"]
- Adonai—["Lord"]
- El Shaddai—["God Almighty"]
- Emmanuel—["God with us"]. A symbolic name of the Messiah from the Book of Isaiah.
- In the Jewish Kabbalah: Eyn Sof—["Endless"]